Yo, Philly in the News

• A former University of Pennsylvania economics professor will appear for sentencing today. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter after facing first- and third-degree murder charges in the bludgeoning his wife in December of 2006. The sentencing guidelines call for a sentence range from three-and-a-half years to 20 years in prison.
• Thomas McFarland, Jr., the Main Line dentist accused of dumping needles and other medical waste into the ocean near Avalon last August was indicted yesterday on charges of pollution. As a result of the pollution in August, Avalon was forced to close its beaches for four days raising concern among beachgoers and local officials. If he is convicted he could face 10 years in prison and up to $125,000 in fines.
• Yesterday in Trenton, former State Sen. Wayne Bryant was convicted of corruption charges for taking his “low-show” job at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in exchange for securing $10.5 million in state grants for the school over a period of three years. Discussing the case, Gov. Corzine said, “People who break the law should be held accountable for those actions no matter what good deeds they have done in their lives. Unfortunately, that is true whether your name is Ted Stevens or Wayne Bryant.”
• Along the newly constructed Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill, the federal and state government have spent nearly $3 million dollars installing new trolley tracks, trolley poles and wires. SEPTA, which prefers busses, says it has no plans to use the new tracks and wires. The situation is being dubbed The Trolley to Nowhere.
• The Kimmel Center opened its doors seven years ago. It now plans an ambitious renovation project. One chunk of the project will be the creation of a master plan to increase the use of public spaces, not just around performance times but at other times on many days. The second will seek to redress the criticized acoustics of Verizon Hall, the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Image Credit: Flickr user micholitzii